http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Cow_Power
I have been pondering how to make battery packs for laptops. Something like: http://www.apc.com/resource/include/techspec_index.cfm?base_sku=UPB50 Only I want to use AA, AAA or D cell batteries, and have a whoopty USB interface for both monitoring (super cool if I can report on what cells need replacing) and charging (how sick is that?) being able to hook it to a car or whatever battery seems like a good idea. On Wed, Aug 19, 2009 at 3:21 PM, Tom Sharples<[email protected]> wrote: > Some of our wisps use these airx-400s: > > http://preview.tinyurl.com/lmgs39 > > if you have sufficient wind they work quite well. > > Tom S. > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Michael Robinson" <[email protected]> > To: <[email protected]> > Sent: Wednesday, August 19, 2009 1:02 PM > Subject: [PLUG] Do it yourself solar... > > >> Since I'm looking at building a do it yourself UPS, I figured I ought to >> look into a do it yourself solar power system as well. >> >> Well, I can't find any Portland businesses to buy panels from at a >> reasonable hobbyist price. >> >> Even at $6/watt, panels are awfully expensive. >> >> The best I can get a grid tie inverter for is $299 and that's >> only a 250 watt inverter off of Ebay. >> >> Batteries only get you so far. Can anyone build a solar system >> that can provide 250 watts for say a single server for significantly >> less than $1k? How about a wind mill? Any other options? To get >> 250 watts worth of panels I'm looking at $1.2k alone and getting >> only a fraction of the power most of the time. >> >> Anyways, I'm curious. Are there any incentives in Oregon for people >> who buy solar panels to address the cost issue? >> >> So I'm back to getting a non grid tie inverter and somehow managing >> to program a PIC microcontroller to monitor the battery and report >> to the Linux server. I guess I'll have to design a circuit to charge >> the battery and monitor the AC line for outages, spikes, and brownout >> conditions. >> >> With sliver solar panels and other emerging technologies, one would >> expect that solar panels would be a lot cheaper by now than they >> were even a year ago. I guess that just isn't the case. >> >> _______________________________________________ >> PLUG mailing list >> [email protected] >> http://lists.pdxlinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > > > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG - www.avg.com > Version: 8.5.392 / Virus Database: 270.13.61/2313 - Release Date: 08/19/09 > 06:03:00 > > _______________________________________________ > PLUG mailing list > [email protected] > http://lists.pdxlinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug > > -- Carl K _______________________________________________ PLUG mailing list [email protected] http://lists.pdxlinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug
